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Wealth, or its absence, is central to Jane Austen’s novels. The author meticulously outlined her characters’ earnings: Mr. Bennet receives £2000, Mr. Darcy has £10,000. But what would these sums equate to in today’s world?
Austen’s works—Sense and Sensibility in 1811, Pride and Prejudice in 1813, and Emma in 1815—were all published during a period where monetary values were significantly different. Using the 1810 exchange rate as a basis, The Telegraph calculated how much characters like Mr. Darcy and Emma would have in today’s currency.
According to these calculations, Darcy’s income would be around £796,000 annually (approximately $1.2 million in 2013). While impressive, this sum wouldn’t be sufficient to maintain the grandeur of his Derbyshire estate today, especially with the rising expenses of managing a manor, including staff wages. The cost of running Chatsworth House, which served as the setting for the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is £4 million annually.
Back in the early 19th century, life for an aristocrat was somewhat more affordable, so Darcy’s income would have gone a lot further. Considering the stark income inequality of the time, his £796,000 might have the purchasing power of around £12 million today. Therefore, life for a modern-day Mr. Darcy might not be all that bad after all.
Meanwhile, Austen herself earned £110 from the publication of Pride and Prejudice, relinquishing both copyright and royalties. This modest sum was just a little more than what it would cost to maintain Lizzy Bennet in the Bennet family home for a year.
For more details on the income of Austen’s characters, visit The Telegraph.
